​Message from Emma Bullock, Senior Representative​It has been a tremendous honor to serve as the 2016-17 Division A Graduate Senior Representative this year. I have had the wonderful opportunity to work across divisions with other graduate representatives and with the most outstanding committee. Naomi Lawrence-Lee at Texas Southern University and Jessica Schwartzer at George Mason University have elevated our Connect Series to a whole new level and I encourage everyone to check out our archived webinars. Tara Wilson at George Washington University facilitated an exceptionally well-attended Publishing Mentorship Session at UCEA in which members from both Divisions A and L dialogued with a panel of faculty which helped to demystify the publishing process. Jason Ribeiro at the University of Calgary and Alison Wilson at the University of Oklahoma published our most diverse, knowledgeable, consistent, and reliable newsletter on Division A Graduate News to date and communicated our events far and wide utilizing social media. LaTanya Dixon at the University of Mississippi, with our exceptional lead reviewers, Craig DeVoto at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Mark McKinney at the University of New England, and Nakia Gray-Nicolas at New York University, helped review and select our four Foster-Polite Scholarship awardees who each received a $500 stipend to present their research in San Antonio this year. Finally, Amy Gearhart at the University of Missouri-Columbia and our lead reviewers have put together our seminal mentoring session at the annual meeting, the Dialogic Forum, in which 14 students have been paired with exceptional faculty mentors. I have really enjoyed working with Division A and I anticipate many years of collaboration in the future as I accept my first faculty position in the Fall at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. Wei-Ling Sun at the University of Texas at Austin will take over as the Senior Representative after our annual meeting and I know she will do a phenomenal job. Thank you for the honor to serve and I will see you all in San Antonio!

Message from LaTanya Dixon, Foster-Polite Scholarship Chair

As my second term as the Foster-Polite Scholarship Chair has been nearing an end, I recently became more curious about the scholars whom the graduate student award honored. While sitting in my advisor's office last month, I told her my interest in learning more about the scholarship's namesakes. She immediately named Lenoar "Len" Foster and Vernon Polite. Then she referred me to Linda Tillman, who was vice president of AERA Division A when the scholarship was created. Although I spoke with Linda Tillman by phone, I could hear the respect and joy saturating her words as she described Len Foster and Vernon Polite.

Vernon Polite was Dean of the College of Education at Eastern Michigan University at the time of his death in 2010. Len Foster was Interim Dean of the College of Education at Washington State University when he died in 2009. Both men were "influential scholars and willing and influential mentors to graduate students and untenured professors," said Linda Tillman. When she attended AERA for the very first time, Vernon Polite was the first person who said hello to her. She also recalled Vernon Polite being a pioneer in research on educational leadership and also co-authoring with James Earl Davis one of the first books on African American males in education and society. I was intrigued as Tillman described Len Foster as a scholar with whom she co-edited a book on African Americans in the principalship and as someone who was active in AERA Division A and the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE). At that moment in our conversation, I realized that Len Foster was likely a scholar opening the path for P-16 educational leadership long before it was a trending issue. I also knew it was a privilege that I have been able to oversee the administration of this prestigious award.

With this knowledge of the scholars, educators, mentors, and leaders whom the Foster-Polite Scholarship honors, I hope graduate students who have received and will receive the award in the future understand the educational leadership shoulders upon which they and their work stand. May the academy say about us emerging scholars what Linda Tillman recalled a colleague saying about Len Foster and Vernon Polite at the establishment of the Foster-Polite Scholarship: "They gave us so much, but they never asked for anything back."

Message from Amy Gearhart, Dialogic Forum Chair

The Dialogic Forum is an opportunity for graduate students to review their developing research with faculty mentors from related fields from throughout the nation. Graduate students submitted applications for the Forum, which were blind reviewed for relevance to the 2017 Annual Meeting Theme and fit with one of Division A's five sections: (a) leadership, (b) school organization and effects, (c) school improvement, (d) school contexts and communities, or (e) leadership development. Thirteen graduate researchers (or pairs) were accepted and they will be matched with faculty who will hear their presentations, provide constructive feedback, and explore how their research relates to emerging trends in the sections of Division A.

The Dialogic Forum is scheduled for Friday, April 28, 8:15-9:45 a.m., and is open to accepted grad students and faculty only. Breakfast will be served and presentations will be made by each researcher prior to time with the faculty mentors.

This is my first AERA meeting and experience with Division A. I dove in by saying “yes!” to a listserv invitation to apply for Division A leadership. I’m new to higher education from a previous career, and I wanted to immerse myself in the professional association and development opportunities that AERA provides. I’ve enjoyed meeting so many other grad students from around the country and learning more about their research interests. I’m looking forward to being at the Annual Meeting in San Antonio to finally put faces with so many names and find my place in the collegial world of higher education leadership and administration.

Message from Craig DeVoto, Nakia Gray-Nicolas, and Mark McKinney, Lead Reviewers​Hi, everyone! We are excited to serve as Lead Reviewers on the Division A Graduate Student Committee for 2016-17. As Lead Reviewers, we are tasked with supporting the chairs of the Dialogic Forum and the Foster-Polite Scholarship by reviewing applications for the forum and the scholarship. Through a blind review process we are able to critically assess applications in order to highlight exemplary scholarship from our fellow Division A graduate students.

Nakia Gray-NicolasLead ReviewerNew York University​​Nakia Gray-Nicolas is a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership at the Steinhardt School of Education, Culture and Human Development at New York University. Her dissertation research focuses on interrogating the purpose and effectiveness of, and access to, pre-college transition programs as it relates to the college readiness of traditionally marginalized populations. Nakia has over 10 years of combined experience in non-profit, secondary education, and higher education. Prior to entering her doctoral program, she worked at a non-profit organization as a program coordinator and eventually the youth services director, and then as a middle school English teacher. While enrolled in her program she worked as a college transition program director and now works as a college lecturer teaching first-year seminar and research courses. Nakia holds a B.A. in English from Cornell University and two Master of Science degrees (English Education and Inclusive Special Education) from the Syracuse University Graduate School of Education. Nakia is also an avid volunteer and continues to mentor high school and college students.

Jason RibeiroCommunications Co-ChairUniversity of Calgary

Jason Ribeiro (B.A., B.Ed., M.Ed.) is a Ph.D. student at the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada working out of the Leadership, Policy and Governance unit. He has served as a K-12 teacher, private consultant, student government representative and community leader. As Communications Co-Chair, Jason manages Division A's social media accounts and presence online. His current research aims to inform education leadership capacity to shape, lead and sustain emergent schools/systems looking to innovate. Jason also holds a prestigious SSHRC Joseph-Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholarship from the Government of Canada's National Research Council.

"It has been my distinct privilege to serve on Division A's GSC this year and encourage many of my fellow graduate students to get involved in division-level leadership. It is a truly rewarding experience! I look forward to connecting with many of you at our Annual Meeting in San Antonio and via distance in the future. Please follow our Division A Twitter account @DivisionAGSC and me at @jason_ribeiro. Lead on!"

​Alison WilsonCommunications Co-ChairUniversity of Oklahoma

Alison Wilson is a Ph.D. student in Educational Administration, Curriculum, and Supervision at the University of Oklahoma. In addition to her doctoral studies, she is a full-time graduate research assistant in the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies department. For the past two years, she has worked under an AERA research grant sponsored by NSF titled “How do school leaders support student opportunity to learn.” Her research interests include opportunity to learn, organizational and social structures in schools, school leadership, school improvement, ethical leadership, and educational equity. In addition to serving as Communications Co-Chair for the Division A Graduate Student Committee, Alison is a Graduate Student Representative and Newsletter Managing Editor for the Leadership for School Improvement (LSI) SIG. She also serves as the Editorial Assistant for the Values and Ethics in Educational Administration (VEEA) journal. In 2015, she received the University Council of Educational Administration (UCEA) Graduate Student Summer Fellowship, which funded her work with the OU center affiliate to the Consortium for the Study of Leadership and Ethics in Education (CSLEE). Alison has five years of experience as a secondary language arts teacher and three years as department head in a large public school district in Oklahoma. She received her B.A. in English from the University of Central Arkansas and completed her M.Ed. in Educational Administration, Curriculum, and Supervision at the University of Oklahoma.

Tara A. Wilson is a doctoral candidate in Educational Administration and Policy Studies at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She is a member of the American Educational Research Association and University Council for Educational Administration Graduate Student Councils, where she serves as the Publishing Session Chair. She also serves as Student Representative on the Consortium for Research on Educational Assessment and Teaching Effectiveness (CREATE) board. Tara has six years of teaching experience and is currently a fourth grade teacher at Maud Abrams School in Cape May, New Jersey. She earned her M.Ed. in Reading Education and her B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Central Florida. In 2015, she was honored as her Teacher of the Year at Odyssey Middle School in Orlando, Florida. Her dissertation research is focused on the coaching and mentoring of assistant principals. She is particularly interested in the methods used to prepare assistant principals for upward career ascension within school leadership.

Chaired by Amy L. Gearhart (University of Missouri-Columbia), the purpose of the Division A Dialogic forum, a pre-session event, is to provide graduate students an opportunity to a) present new research perspectives on current educational issues addressing the AERA theme and b) receive constructive feedback from scholars and peers about current and future directions of the research and its contribution to the field around this theme. These presentations from graduate students also act as a platform to encourage discussion, which helps shape the direction of research agendas within the field.Division A Fireside ChatFriday, April 28th, 10:35am-12:05pmGonzalez Convention Center, Meeting Room Level, Room 215

Co-chaired by Emma Bullock (Utah State University) and Wei-Ling Sun (University of Texas at Austin). STEM initiatives abound to support K-16 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics activities that educate and engage young people while fostering creativity and innovation. Early exposure to STEM initiatives and activities positively impact elementary students’ perceptions and dispositions. Children on track to complete needed coursework in middle and high school are better able to enter STEM degree programs at institutions of higher learning. However, these rich educational opportunities are often not equitably extended to diverse and marginalized populations. In this session, researchers and practitioners in the trenches of educational leadership and STEM education will dialogue on the current research and practical steps being undertaken around the country to allow for equitable access to STEM education for all of America’s children. The moderator will be Dr. Issam Abi-El-Mona of the Department of STEAM Education Center, Science/Math, and MA STEM Program Coordinator at Rowan University, and STEM-SIG Chair. Panelists include Dr. Erin Peters-Burton, Director and Associate Professor, Division of Educational Psychology, Research Methods, and Education Policy, George Mason University, and eSTEM Project collaborator; Dr. Alexis Martin, Director of Research and Evaluation at the Level Playing Field Institute; Dr. Tia Madkins, Center for STEM Education, University of Notre Dame; and Associate Superintendent of Academics Lisa Riggs from the San Antonio Independent School District.Division A Business MeetingSaturday, April 29th, 6:30-8:30pmGonzalez Convention Center, Meeting Room Level, Room 2017A

Chaired by Dr. Michael E. Dantley, Miami University. Please plan to attend our business meeting to have a voice in the future direction of your division and to learn about opportunities to participate in the leadership (and followership) of the Division.UCEA, Division A, Division L, and SAGE Publications Joint ReceptionSaturday, April 29th, 8:00-10:00pmGrand Hyatt, Fourth Floor, Texas Ballroom, Salon A

The UCEA Graduate Student Council (GSC) is accepting applications for three seats on the GSC to serve a two-year term from 2017-2019. The GSC is an innovative group of graduate students from across the country who support fellow graduate students by planning year-long professional development and networking opportunities. See the above website link for additional details. Email any questions to uceagradconnex@gmail.com.

The 2017 UCEA Graduate Student Summit Call for Proposals has been released! It can be downloaded from the UCEA GSS webpage. The UCEA Graduate Student Summit is an extension of the UCEA Convention, and the 31st Annual UCEA Convention theme, Echando Pa'lante: School Leaders (Up)rising as Advocates and (Up)lifting Student Voices, is intended to encourage opportunities for reflective dialogue regarding the educational contexts that students, teachers, principals, and superintendents will be facing within a changing national climate and its impact on educational policy. The words in the theme “echando pa'lante” are a derivation of echando para adelante which translates from Spanish as moving forward. Yet the terms imply more than just that action. They describe the will to keep going especially when times are tough and intrinsic motivation is needed to keep moving forward. Traditionally used within Latinx, Spanish-speaking communities, these words serve to inspire one to challenge themselves no matter what the odds. We look forward to receiving and reviewing your proposals!

​Please Note:

The 6th annual UCEA Graduate Student Summit will be held November 15-16, 2017 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, CO.

The 31st annual UCEA Convention will be held November 16-19, 2017 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, CO.

All Academic will open for proposal submissions on Friday, April 7, 2017. All proposals are due by Monday, May 8, 2017 at 11:59 PM EDT.